Cross & Crescent
a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication
Congressman Tom Rooney
February 2009 路 XCVI 路 Issue 2
Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication Features Fraternity News 4 Website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn? True Brother 6 Cal Poly, SMU brothers cited Centennial News 8 What Advice Would You Give for Initiation Ritual? History 10 A tribute to Albert Cross Chapter News 12 Chapter and Alumni News
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Obama Cookie Guy Chapter founder Tom Magnani, co-owner of Baby Boomer Cafe in Des Moines, has seen cookie sales skyrocket after the Obama girls endorsed them. Typically selling fewer than 300 cookies a week, they sold 18,000 during Christmas week. By Tad Lichtenauer
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New U.S. Congressman On November 4, 2008, Tom Rooney was elected to represent Florida’s 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before becoming a congressman, he worked in the U.S. Army JAG Corps, taught constitutional and criminal law at the United States Military Academy, and served as CEO of The Children’s Place at Home Safe, a home for abused and neglected children. By Chris Barrick
Credits
Contributions
Publisher: Bill Farkas Editor: Tad Lichtenauer Assistant Editor: Chris Barrick Illustrator: Jeff Reisdorfer Podcast Voice: Fuzz Martin Photographer: Walt Moser Assignment Editor: Jon Williamson Historian: Mike Raymond Contributing Editors: Jono Hren Aaron Jones George Spasyk
Content for consideration should be submitted by the fiftenth of the month. Lambda Chi Alpha 8741 Founders Rd Indianapolis, IN 46268-1338 (317) 872-8000 editor@lambdachi.org www.lambdachi.org www.crossandcrescent.com
www.crossandcrescent.com
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FEATURE
Obama Cookie Guy Chapter founder Tom Magnani, co-owner of Baby Boomer Cafe in Des Moines, has seen cookie sales skyrocket after the Obama girls endorsed them. ByTad Lichtenauer (Denison 1987) Baby Boomers Cafe has become a destination spot in Iowa and everyone who comes into the restaurant wants an autograph and their picture taken with Magnani and Maxfield. The cookies sell for $9 a dozen in the diner and for $11 a dozen, plus shipping, online. Lambda Chi When Magnani enrolled in college the mid-1980s, Truman State was called Northeast Missouri State. “When I was in the Fraternity, one of the fondest memories of it was being a founding father because we got our charter in the spring of ‘86 and I joined in fall of ‘85,” he says. “I was a founding father of the chapter. It was a pretty exciting time for us.” He enjoyed being a part of a growing and successful chapter and he held the offices of chapter vice president and chapter secretary. “When I left in 1990, the chapter had grown and started to make waves on the campus towards becoming a bigger and better chapter,” he says. His experiences being in a chapter and holding chapter offices has helped him with his business and restaurant experiences.
W
hen President Barack Obama chose his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, little did Tom Magnani (Truman State 1989) know how much that would change his life and his business, Baby Boomers Cafe.
“Getting along with people, dealing with different personalities...In the chapter I had to deal with everything and I think that helps later in life in just dealing with problems and issues,” Magnani says.
The restaurant usually sold less than 300 chocolate chunk cookies each week — sometimes giving away leftovers on Friday afternoons — to selling about 18,000 during Christmas week.
“We never really ever thought something like this would happen. We bought a restaurant four years ago and were planning on running it for awhile and seeing where that went. And then this came along and threw us into the national and international headlines.”
The cookie could become as popular as when Mrs. Fields took hers to a national audience — and all because the president’s daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, took a liking to them when they visited the Iowa campaign headquarters last year.
As for the future, Magnani says that besides franchising the cookie operation they also hope to have a standing order from the White House.
Because of the surge in cookie sales, Magnani and his business partner, Rodney Maxfield, had to re-think their entire business. They decided to spin off the cookie business to handle the volume of orders they were getting from both in-store sales and orders through a Baby Boomers Cookie (http://www.babyboomerscookie.com/) website they launched. www.crossandcrescent.com
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FRATERNITY NEWS
Website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn? Consider your goals before deciding the best type of web presence.
By Jeff Reisdorfer (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
When considering web presence, we have to think about what our goals are. Before we go off registering domain names, thinking up clever blog titles, or spending hours tweaking our Facebook pages, we need to figure out what our end result looks like. Last things first — that way we can figure out the best way to get there! Let’s look at a couple of scenarios.
Homecoming, Greek Week and philanthropic events as they happen. An up-to-date website says “We are involved in lots of things and care enough to share our successes with you” to visitors. It also tells the community that your chapter isn’t just “that frat down the street.” Many universities offer to host websites for local chapters if your chapter doesn’t have the money to register a domain name and host it independently. Hosting a website costs about $80, depending on the hosting service you provide. Remember, you will also have to register a domain name. While .org is short for Organization, .com is still king. Many people will instinctively type .com after your domain name when looking online. It would be wise to purchase a .com and perhaps the .org with the same name. When choosing a domain name the best advice is “The shorter and easier to remember, the better.” While universityofwisconsinwhitewaterlambdachialpha.com may say exactly who and what we are, it is very long and will be a nightmare for people to correctly type. Our Alumni Association opted for uwwLCA.com as our domain name.
Active Chapter: What is the purpose of your web presence? Recruiting new members, sharing information with both active and alumni brothers, or perhaps public relations?? All...none? Chapter Alumni Association: Is the purpose of your web presence to share information about alumni happenings? To share photos from then and now? Decide what the purpose and goal of your web presence will be. Does your goal require having a website/blog as well as a public Facebook group? Consider how often you intend to make updates to your web presence(s).
Note: domain names are not case sensitive, when advertising, we opt to capitalize LCA. Our uwwLCA.com domain name is short, easy to remember and has served us well in the last 4 years.
Now that you have set your goals in relation to your web presence, we will move on to choosing the right web tools to achieve those goals.
(Pros: Standard websites give ultimate opportunity to create the look/ feel of your chapter and its message. Cons: Creating a website from scratch can be very time consuming. Having someone in-house who knows how to access, edit and update a website is a must. There are costs attached if your site is not hosted through a university or other free service.)
Web Presence Tools Facebook is great for networking — consider using it for recruitment and sharing event information with brothers. It is also a great way to find brothers we’ve lost touch with and allow everyone to “come together” in a digital format. Facebook allows for the creation of Groups which can be set to Public, Private, or Invite Only. It is important to remember that many undergrads today do have Facebook accounts, but if you are trying to reach alumni of varying ages, many of them may not have accounts. Any information posted on Facebook is limited to those who have accounts and are members of the group you create. Brothers without Facebook accounts will be left out of the loop if you rely exclusively on this social media tool.
Blogs are great for alumni associations and chapters that are interested in sharing up-to-date information as it happens. Stories, events & photos can easily be added to a blog. Special software is not needed when you run a blog, which makes them ideal for people who do not know much about creating websites from scratch. There are many great free blog services online, each offering different features for different skill levels of writers. (SEE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS) Blogs also provide readers the ability to leave comments which allows for relationship building between the writer and the reader. If your chapter or alumni association is diligent and involved in many activities, consider using a blog for part of your web presence.
(Pros: approximately 30,000 Lambda Chi Alpha men are on Facebook; creation of Groups and Accounts are free. Cons: Limited access for non-Facebookers. Older alumni may not be interested in joining Facebook to find chapter information). Standard websites are good for sharing static information. Use a standard website for sharing chapter officers contacts and other information that the university, media and brothers can easily find to get in touch with your chapter. Post photos of current events like
www.crossandcrescent.com
(Pros: updating and editing a blog can be as simple as sending an email. No need for knowledge of how to edit or code a website. Many blogging sites are free. Cons: Only a few blogging sites allow for
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FRATERNITY NEWS custom domain names (i.e., your web address will not be as custom as you may like). Some blogging sites limit the amount of space you have, posting a lot of photos may eat up your space quickly. Blogs are often created on templates and you cannot customize the look and feel of your blogging site.)
Lambda Chi Alpha has always strived to stay ahead of the curve in communications. Moving our flagship publication, The Cross & Crescent to an online format in 2005, we sought to provide our Brothers a quality publication on a monthly basis with less expense to the general Fraternity. Lambda Chi Alpha continues to embrace new technologies, to that end we offer 2 more ways for you to stay close to everything happening with the Cross & Crescent.
Posterous: An easy to use blogging site. If you can send an email, you can blog. (Pros: Ease of use, Posterous is free; ability to use a custom domain name. Additionally: robust features allow auto-posting of photos, videos, mp3, pdf, doc, etc. Cons: No customized look/feel of the site. Every Posterous blog looks the same, outside of the content.)
First, we have created a Facebook Page. You can now become a Fan of the Cross & Crescent on the most popular social networking site in the world, Facebook. When you become a Fan, you will receive information about upcoming interviews, be able to listen to audio clips of well-known Brothers talking about their Lambda Chi Alpha experiences, and preview Cross & Crescent covers before publication. Check the web version for a link to become a Fan.
Wordpress: The most robust blogging platform available. (Pros: massive customization for look/feel as well as optional plug-ins; free if hosted at Wordpress.com. Cons: Wordpress is not for a new or casual blogger).
Second, the Cross & Crescent is now on Twitter. If you aren’t familiar, Twitter allows people to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Stay connected to the C&C, find out what we are doing during the day, converse with Cross & Crescent writers and staff. Give direct feedback and answer questions that we have for our Twitter followers. Click the button below to be taken to our Twitter feed and click Follow if you are already using Twitter. (Button with link to http://www.Twitter.com/CrossNCrescent ) to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
Tumblr: An easy 1-2-3...go! Blogging site. (Pros: Easy to get started, ability to choose themes for your blog look/feel, Tumblr is free, optional customization for web savvy persons. Cons: Navigating a blog’s “dashboard” may feel a little odd to some new users). Blogger: Google’s blogging site. (Pros: It’s Google, so you know your content will be found on their search engine, relatively easy to use. Blogger is free; ability to choose from a variety of templates for look/ feel with optional color adjustment for web savvy users; blogs can be invite-only. Cons: Can only upload photos in groups of five...time consuming.)
billion text messages are sent each month in the U.S.] Group texting services are a great way to send up-to-date information to our brothers and many of these services are free. An administrator from your chapter registers with a service, creates a unique code and then shares it with people who you want to join the list. When someone texts in that word to the specific phone number provided by the service, they are added to your texting pool and will receive all updates sent by the administrator. Obviously, text messaging isn’t directly related to your web presence, but it does fall in line with communications and social media for your chapter.
MySpace is a social media site that has very little relevance to anyone older than 18. Many of our brothers have MySpace pages, but they are not as inter-connective as Facebook. MySpace does not allow for creation of groups or allow access to information as easily as blogs or standard websites. I highly discourage any chapter or alumni association from using MySpace as a method of communicating information to our brothers.
(Pros: texting allows for instant information sent directly to every subscriber. Many group texting services are free. Cons: While it is possible to ban numbers from your texting pool, anyone who registers with your list will receive updates. Be sure to text only information that is good for public consumption.)
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site and is mainly used for professional networking. It may be advantageous to get “LinkedIn” with all of our brothers nationally and locally, but do not use LinkedIn exclusively for your web presence.
Putting It All Together Once you have established what your goals are for your chapter or alumni association’s web presence, you can explore a variety of online tools to reach those goals. Remember, content is king when it comes to the Internet. Short bursts of quality information are better than drawn out paragraphs only presented every so often. Keep your visitors in the know with great content and they will continue to come back for more.
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Many people have found Twitter to be extremely useful in networking and marketing. Is it right for your chapter? Perhaps. If all of your brothers are using Twitter it would be useful to send out an All Points Bulletin to an event as it happens, but most likely you should reserve Twitter for personal ventures. Group Text Messaging has become a new phenomenon that has garnered a lot of positive response in the past few years. 86 percent of the U.S. population owns a cell phone and over 98 percent of those phones have the ability to send and receive text messages. [Nearly 100 www.crossandcrescent.com
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February 2009
TRUE BROTHER
Core Values in Action Cal Poly chapter receives praise; SMU alumni brother lauded for U.S. Treasury work.
By Tad Lichtenauer (Denison 1987)
Core Values form the foundation of Lambda Chi Alpha’s approach to brotherhood. As a part of the True Brother Initiative, our Seven Core Values — Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service & Stewardship, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage — once learned and internalized, equip each Lambda Chi Alpha undergraduate member with a clear moral compass, always orienting him, no matter the environment or consequences, toward making ethical decisions. For Lambda Chi Alpha, it is not enough simply to know how to do things the right way; more importantly, it is to do the right things, for brotherhood and leadership are ultimately about action, about doing. Core Values in Action: Service & Stewardship Chapter brothers at California Polytechnic State University were recognized by Edie Kahn, executive director, AIDS Support Network for their ongoing efforts to support this charitable organization. The following is an excerpt from the letter Kahn wrote recognizing the chapter’s extraordinary efforts:
In the past several months, Lambda Chi Alpha has taken on several large projects for the AIDS Support Network (ASN), all of which were done with open minds and open hearts. Starting back in the spring, Lambda Chi was one of the group of Greeks that built “can castles” — extravagant structures built entirely of canned food donated by their membership. The food was then given to our agency’s Food Pantry and the local Food Bank. A group from Lambda Chi has helped us maintain our housing units — painting and doing some heavy manual labor to get some plumbing issues sorted out. Then there was the 17th Annual Walk for Life, where Lambda Chi showed up (with a dry run the previous day) to set up, barbecue, and tear down for the event. If that wasn’t enough, they sponsored a new Cal Poly event — our “Red T-shirt Campaign,” selling shirts and getting participation to make a “human” AIDS ribbon for World AIDS Day.
It is with great pleasure that I’m writing this letter regarding the San Luis Obispo chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. This group of dedicated brothers has truly gone above and beyond in their service to our agency and the community. The AIDS Support Network and the SLO Hep C Project are the only community based programs dedicated to serving the needs of people living with HIV disease, AIDS, and Hep C in San Luis Obispo County. We assist clients financially, emotionally, and with practical needs, as well as help educate the community through our Speakers Bureau and our Memorial Grove.
These exemplary young men have never said no to us, always providing service with good cheer and efficiency. They are certainly a credit to their fraternity and a tremendous gift to our community. Ongoing support from generous neighbors like Lambda Chi Alpha makes it possible for us to continue to provide a high level of service to our clients and community.
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February 2009
TRUE BROTHER
“I guess I’m the first line of defense.” Core Values in Action: Duty In a recent Dallas Morning News article, Jeb J. Mason (Southern Methodist 2000) was lauded for his political acumen related to his role as assistant secretary for business affairs and public liaison U.S. Department of the Treasury during the initial $700 billion bailout. During the Bush administration, Mason served as the liaison to U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. In the time since the Treasury began distributing bailout funds, requests have come from a range of industries, companies, and special-interest groups. “They all have their own constituents and want to be in the know, so they call me,” Mason told The Dallas Morning News. “I guess I’m the first line of defense.” Mark Kitchens, a senior vice president of AARP, said Mason arranged a meeting with Paulson that helped provide the group with crucial answers. “Jeb was instrumental in setting that up and making sure the information flow was well-coordinated.”
Mason fielded as many as 50 calls a day from groups inquiring about Treasury’s use of bailout funds. Some groups give Mason and others at Treasury high marks for listening to how the asset relief program could be used to help institutions beyond Wall Street.
Loyalty Duty R espect Service &
Like many Treasury officials, Mason has kept late hours and worked a succession of weekends during the recent crisis. “Most of these guys are not of Washington, and Jeb brings to that inner circle some Washington experience and some political acumen,” said Josh Denny, one of Mason’s chapter brothers and associate vice president of public policy at the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mason is making plans to probably return to Texas in 2009, although he hasn’t had time for a planned trip to meet with people who could steer him toward the right job.
Stewardship Honor Integrity
Personal
Courage www.crossandcrescent.com
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February 2009
CENTENNIAL NEWS
An Undergraduate Brother’s Perspective What Advice Would You Give for Initiation Ritual? Editor’s Note: Brother Michael Stirm (St. Joseph’s 2009) is a senior and English major at St. Joseph’s University. He recently researched and presented the following speech to his chapter and associate members during preinitiation last fall. As we celebrate our Centennial, Stirm’s undergraduate perspective on our Initiation Ritual is a fitting tribute to our 100-year milestone.
By Michael Stirm (St. Joseph’s 2009)
The book basically investigates ritual as an ancient spiritual practice, and specifically, how it relates to the secret society of Freemasons. Human ritual has two characteristics: 1. It generates emotional discharges in varying degrees of intensity that represent subjective feelings of tranquility, ecstasy, and awe; and, 2. It results in mental states that are often explained as some degree of spiritual transcendence. The cognitive setting (your state of mind) in which ritual is carried out has a direct emotional impact on the participant’s brain.
What Advice Would You Give for Initiation Ritual? Every semester you ask the same question. And every semester your chapter High Kappa recommends that you ask it. It is guaranteed to crop up, in some form or another, in so many words, and like clockwork, it is asked. The answers you will get vary from brother to brother and his answer reveals how he understands and appreciates our Initiation Ritual.
“The story-telling sense of the myth combines with emotional arousal effects to produce a powerful means of imparting information. You often feel that you have had a close encounter with the source of order in the universe.” After consulting numerous experts on the craft, Lomas comes to understand that the purpose of Freemasonic Ritual is to pass from mere manhood and carnal understanding to “conscious Godhood whilst we are still in the flesh.” It is “the realization of our fundamental unity and identity with the ultimate of ultimates, a world-old science taught and practiced in secret in all ages by the few spiritually ripe and courageous enough for following a higher path of life.”
I am here to tell you that our Initiation Ritual is an important, possibly life-changing event that has been passed down to us by one of its biggest authors, John Mason (Pennsylvania 1913). Brother Mason spent years in libraries, both in America and Europe, studying the rituals of history, rituals of the Knights Templar, the Freemasons, and societies more ancient than these. His years of research produced a beautiful and humbling work of art in the form of our Initiation Ritual.
In the book, Lomas presents information from medical experts who have found that “spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, and taking part in ritual services reduces feelings of anxiety and depression, boosts self-esteem, and often results in a more positive approach to life.”
Before I give you my advice for our Initiation Ritual, I want to share with you some of the things I’ve learned along the way to understanding ritual as an ancient and valuable form of transmitting information and elevating the mind. Freemason Perspective Most of this information comes from a book called Turning the Hiram Key, written by Robert Lomas, a Freemason and the real-life inspiration for Dan Brown’s character, Robert Langdon.
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Keep these things in mind as you approach the end of this week and the Initiation Ritual. I wish that I had had this information in my head before ritual because I really feel like it would have made a difference in the way I experienced it.
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CENTENNIAL NEWS On You, In You, Through You My advice to you is do not try to understand it. You will not understand its meaning immediately. I’m sure there are brothers who still don’t really understand it in the way it is meant to be understood. What you can do is pay attention to everything you’re seeing and hearing as it takes place. Allow the Initiation Ritual to act on you, in you, and through you. Put yourself completely in the moment. Then afterward, take time to reflect and meditate on what you experienced. What was said, what you saw, etc...It may help to reflect back on the events leading up to the Initiation Ritual and gradually connections will arise and you will understand the meaning and purpose of events in relation to preparation.
Guestbook & Merchandise
The communications staff at the International Headquarters staff has added Centennial Guestbook and Centennial Merchandise pages to our website. We encourage you to access both of these new areas to both tell us your most memorable moments of our first century, as well as to order some the new promotional and clothing items.
The crescent is our symbol, pure, high and always growing, everimproving towards moral, spiritual, and intellectual wholeness. Remember that.
But, remember that the events of the associate member process pale in comparison to the truths that are revealed in the actual Initiation Ritual. Every ritual contains truths needing to be extracted from it, “like poetry or music from the printed page, by personal effort, and which can be recognized as truths only by the responsiveness of the soul after deeply meditating and assimilating them.”
Growth and Sacrifice In connection with this ideal, remember the Jesuit idea of the Magis, which in Latin means “the more.” It is derived from the word majorum from the Jesuit motto Ad majorum Dei gloriam which means “for the greater glory of God.” Everything you do in life should be for God’s greater glory, in the crescent and the cross. I don’t think I’m giving away any secrets when I tell you that these symbols represent growth and sacrifice, aspiration and humility.
Our Initiation Ritual is no less complex and esoteric than the ritual of the Freemasons. Esoteric comes from the Greek word “esotero” meaning further-in. Plato’s teachings were given only to relatively advanced pupils, people who had gained admission to Plato’s inner-circle as a result of intense intellectual study and preparation.
To end my speech, I want to tell you that the best way of hiding something is by putting it right out in the open. You guys don’t know it now, but the creed, symbols, and mottoes are a collective treasury of esoteric wisdom and knowledge and they communicate meanings that only initiated brothers will recognize and appreciate. You are all blind now. But you are ripe for illumination, ripe for an awakening. You have to have eyes to see. Maybe by the end of this week your eyes, hearts, and minds will be opened to all that Lambda Chi Alpha has to offer.
The purpose of the past weeks was not to turn each of you into a walking Paedagogus, but to mold and transform you mentally, spiritually, and emotionally and to prepare you for your commencement as brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha. What you have been doing, hopefully, is growing.
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February 2009
FEATURE
Celebrating Lambda Chi’s Legends & Leaders As part of a 12-month series, our third month pays tribute to Albert Cross. Editor’s Note: The following contains excerpts from: the 1992 publication of The History of Lambda Chi Alpha; the April 1930 publication of Purple, Green, and Gold; and the August 1962 issue of the Cross & Crescent.
A third Penn student was Raymond H. Ferris (Pennsylvania 1912). When he entered French class with Mason, whom he had not yet met, he made it a point to see what student answered to the name of Mason when the roll was called, for his older brother had been a friend of Mason’s older brother at the university, and Ferris wanted to perpetuate the brotherly relationship. Accordingly, he sought out Mason as the class adjourned, and a lifelong friendship between the two began.
Albert Cross (Pennsylvania 1913) is considered a major figure in the early development of Lambda Chi Alpha. While Warren A. Cole (Boston 1912) is credited as the sole man to start the Fraternity, Cross and his companions played a vital role in building a strong foundation for continued success. His passion for the growth of the Fraternity helped establish Lambda Chi Alpha on many campuses, including the Univeristy of Pennsylvania, Penn State University, University of Michigan, and jointly at Cornell University and Bucknell University. Cross’s dedication to the Fraternity landed him a position on the first national executive committee on which he served as the first national secretary. “Monty,” as he was called by his friends, was the first Penn man contacted by Cole, then president of a Fraternity with a single chapter in Boston. Epsilon came into Lambda Chi Alpha nine days after the chartering of Gamma, the second chapter at the University of Massachusetts, then Massachusetts Agricultural College. Cross’s name is first on the Penn chapter roll.
Cross, Mason, and Ferris became the generators of what was to become not only Epsilon Zeta, but a highly creative influence on the International Fraternity. Cross was vigorous, outgoing, aggressive; he was a man of physical action, a fighter as well as idealist. Mason was quiet, thoughtful, studious, philosophical, with a sharp, whimsical sense of humor and a sensitive appreciation for the artistic. Ferris, a scholar, was the fun side of the triangle: lively, jovial, the boon companion. The three had a feeling of mutual loyalty and responsibility. So closely did the three youths work together and so admired were they by their associates that they became known as “Three Musketeers.” Cross Calls for a Real Fraternity Ferris recalled, “The ‘Three Musketeers’ became highly alarmed as certain facts disclosed themselves with reference to the Fraternity in the early days of Epsilon. They began to wonder what sort of organization they were in. It seemed to them that it was a very loose affair and most plastic in its policy...then Bert Cross ‘blew up’ so to speak. His gray eyes flashed and his jaw jutted forward. ‘By God! We’re going to have a real Fraternity, or none at all!’”
Albert Cross, Jack Mason, and Raymond Ferris
Three Musketeers A sudden shower fell on Philadelphia on a summer day in 1910. A pretty girl stood waiting for a street car. Along came a University of Pennsylvania student, Cross, protected by his umbrella. This he chivalrously offered the coed, but he was not destined to be drenched himself, for along came Jack Mason (Pennsylvania 1913), another student also intending to take the street car. He offered Cross the shelter of his umbrella and, when the car came, the two young men occupied a seat together.
www.crossandcrescent.com
By Sean Cox (Butler 2009)
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February 2009
FEATURE
Albert Cross, Warren Cole, Jack Mason, and Louis Robbins Fortune of Lambda Chi Alpha Fortunate for Lambda Chi Alpha was May 27, 1912, for it witnessed the inception of the third chapter, that at Pennsylvania, and the admission of two men who were to have a marked influence on the Fraternity, Cross and Mason. Without their genius in building and developing the Fraternity, it is hard to tell what might have become of Lambda Chi Alpha. It is not too much to believe that it might have experienced some such fate as has befallen scores of other organizations no longer active.
Fading Away Cross did commendable work for almost three years, and then dropped from the picture by his own wishes. It is believed that Cross started to feel worn out on Fraternity work and refused further nomination. He served as Supreme Eminent Proctor from October 11, 1912 to January 15, 1913; Supreme Eminent Scriptor January 15, 1913 to April 11, 1914; and Grand High Beta from April 11, 1914 to January 2, 1915. While Cross does not have as long a history of service to the Fraternity as some other “Legends & Leaders,” his impact on the beginning of the Fraternity and the foundation he helped form is second to none. He died in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on February 23, 1962, at the age of 70. Cross’s passion and work for the Fraternity are a major reason Lambda Chi is what it is today.
Epsilon Zeta Nationally Minded Epsilon at Pennsylvania seems from the first to have been nationally minded to an unusual degree. Cross soon caught from Cole a conviction that success lay in the direction of quickly securing a substantial chapter roll, and spent much of his energy in working to that end. Each trusting in the other’s capacities, Cross and Mason united in many demands upon the president for destructive and constructive measures. In particular, Cross was responsible for establishing 1909 as the year of our founding: thus we are celebrating the Centennial in 2009. With the president, they rapidly came to be a national executive committee, at first informally and later formally.
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CHAPTER NEWS
Chapter News Chapter news, alumni news, and reports of death Alfred (Kappa-Sigma)
Dr. Frank O. Goodnough (1945) died October 05, 2006.
Bob Barton (1983) was elected president of the American Car Rental Association.
Denver (Alpha-Pi)
James A. Thomas (1949) died September 30, 2007.
Angelo State (Beta-Alpha)
Drury (Theta-Sigma)
Brandon Gardner (2011) was elected IFC rush chairman
Donald Peak (1945) died January 8, 2009. A World War II veteran, he was awarded five bronze stars and the Good Conduct Medal amongst many others for services in the European, African, and Middle Eastern Theatre Campaigns. In 1945, he returned from service to continue working for the American Red Cross until his retirement. He was an avid civic volunteer for Galveston, Texas, while publishing a book of World War II memoirs, “Fire Mission”.
James Bowden (2011) was elected IFC academic chairman. Tanner Langston (2011) was elected IFC philanthropy chairman.
Atlanta Area Alumni Association
Bill Martin, the chairman of the alumni association, has relocated to the Orlando area, where he has become involved with the Central Florida Area Alumni Association. Dave Reddish will become the new association chairman in February 2009.
Eureka (Theta-Chi)
Mark Darnall (2009) and his father, Bruce Darnall (1966), wrote an online article (http://www.aia.com/news/post/2009/01/26/ No-Room-for-The-Agony-of-Defeat-(Part-I).aspx) for Athletes in Action about Milwaukee Brewer relief pitcher, Brian Shouse. The article tells about Shouse’s long journey from the minor leagues to the majors and how faith and perseverance helped him endure the struggle.
Bradley (Kappa-Upsilon)
David M. Vance Jr. (1934) died December 23, 2008. He was a Lambda Chi Alpha traveling secretary in the late 1950s and was a chapter adviser in the 1960s.
British Columbia (Zeta-Xi) John Moir (1950) died.
Georgetown (Kappa-Omega)
Mark Lenahan (1983) has written a book, Sleepless in LA, about his thoughts and experiences as a first time middle-aged father.
Cal State-Fresno (Iota-Gamma)
David H. Beasley (1962) died August 28, 2008.
Douglas V. Hunsucker (1960) died October 20, 2008. A former chapter officer, he served in the U.S. Navy. He taught 29 years for the Arlington County (VA) School System. In the 1960s, he received several awards for Excellence in Science Education. In 1974, he was selected as an “Oustanding Secondary Educator of America in recognition of contributions to the advancement of secondary education and service to community.” Hunsucker served as the director and teacher of the Arlington Outdoor Education Lab for 11 years before taking early retirement in 1989.
California-Santa Barbara (Zeta-Eta) Victor Lopez (1949) died December 2, 2002.
Central Florida Area Alumni Association
The following are the results from the Central Florida Area Alumni Association’s recent board elections: David Pavlonnis, president; Reed Knowlton, vice president; George Steinbarger, social chair; Bill Martin, membership chair; David Chafin, technology chair; and Brian Battles, sponsorship chair.
Georgia Tech (Beta-Kappa)
Former ELC Jim Latimer (1980) is the pastor at Community UCC in Reading, Pennsylvania. He came to Reading to participate in the pioneering church revitalization program of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the UCC, called Covenant Churches.
DePauw (Xi)
Clarke Whitaker (1945) died December 31, 2008.
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Glenville State (Beta-Beta)
Kansas (Zeta-Iota)
William E. Dilley (1983) died September 2, 2008. He was a licensed land surveyor and served on the board of directors of Pocahontas Producers.
The Annual ‘Stoags’ Winter Formal was held December 6, 2008 at the chapter house. The event included dinner, dancing, and socializing in the Formal Room.
Hampden-Sydney (Kappa-Eta)
Bill Ragsdale (1962) entertains with magic, ventriloquism, music, and audience participation. He is a member of The International Brotherhood of Magicians having joined when he was 17 years old. He is a retired Methodist clergy having served for 41 years. Currently he is serving as chaplain at the N.C. State Veterans Nursing Home in Salisbury, North Carolina.
Robert Schmidt (2010) was one of 25,000 dedicated athletes invited to the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2009, after finishing in fifth place in the Kansas City Marathon with a time of 2:39:58. He has been running an average of 110 miles a week to train for the upcoming race.
Hanover (Theta-Zeta)
Robert E. Merritt (1951) died October 24, 2008. He retired after 45 years with Chemical Abstracts Service.
High Point (Iota-Phi)
George Moronese (1987), known on TV/radio as Tony Marino, is one of the hosts on Wizetrade TV (http://wizetradetv.com/) and also works for CBS radio.
Chapter brothers added three new associate members — Matt D’Amore, Andy Roman, and Aaron Spier during informal rush at the beginning of the spring semester, increasing the number of chapter members to 50.
Illinois State (Beta-Omicron)
The third annual chapter alumni reunion was held on January 25, 2009, at the Medinah Shrine Center in Addison, Illinois.
Jacksonville Area Alumni Association
The Jacksonville Area Alumni Association hosted its first social event at Scrooge’s Fine Food & Drink on November 8, 2008. More than 50 brothers and guests attended the Purple, Green, and Gold Banquet. Developed in part by Chris Spear (Millsaps 2007) along with Allen Gressett (Mississippi State 2006), Marsh Nippes (Millsaps 2006), and Edgar Meyer (Millsaps 2010), the event honored local longtime alumni supporters and celebrated the 15th anniversary of the North American Food Drive. The banquet also recognized the service of the outgoing Millsaps chapter adviser Sam Morris (Millsaps 1993) and welcomed the chapter’s new alumni advisor, Marsh Nippes.
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Lousiana State (Upsilon)
Montevallo (Sigma-Epsilon)
The chapter is nearing completion of a more than $100,000 ronovation of the chapter house, which was funded by the chapter’s Alumni Association without requring a fundraiser or bank loan.
Former SAC member Brandt L. Montgomery (2007) officially became a postulate for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama on December 1, 2008. After completion of three years of seminary coursework, he will be ordained as a priest in December 2012.
Louisville (Zeta-Sigma)
Frederick Paige (1951) died September 14, 2008.
Lycoming (Iota-Beta)
David C. Dawson (1990) died April 2007.
David Oliver (1980) died December 26, 2008. He worked as a firefighter with Bessemer Fire Department.
Massachusetts (Gamma)
Stanley Salwak (1943) died in October 2005.
Massachusetts Inst of Technology (Lambda)
Missouri-Kansas City (Sigma-Rho)
E. Eugene Allmendinger (1932) died.
Patrick Walkers (2009) was awarded the esteemed position of vice chancellor of student affairs. This is a great honor for him and for our chapter.
Memphis (Zeta-Theta)
Earl C. McGonagill (1953) died.
North Carolina-Greensboro (Phi-Theta)
Miami-OH (Zeta-Upsilon)
Carolyn P. Lowery died January 2, 2009. The wife of Master Steward Dr. Clifford B. Lowery, Mrs. Lowery gave of herself continuously and was extremely helpful during the chapter’s founding. She hosted many chapter events and essentially served as the chapter’s house mother. Mrs. Lowery also participated in various other community organizations including: Guilford College Women’s Club, president; Parents for the Advancement of Gifted Education, secretary-treasurer; University Women’s Club, president; several PTA’s, president and chairman of various committees; Community Swim Association, board member and treasurer; United Day Care Services, board member. She also served the community with the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a counselor; Greensboro Sheltered Workshop as Assistant Director; substitute teacher in the public schools, and co-owner of The Wedding Pages and Piedmont Playbill.
Dr. David T. Smith (1974) just finished his 28th year at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a Child Clinical Psychologist and teaches a course on Ethics and Introduction to Psychology at the University of Cincinnati.
North Texas (Iota-Zeta)
Dave Barnett is the new radio voice of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team. Previously, he served as the play-by-play announcer for the Dallas Mavericks.
Millsaps (Theta-Eta)
North Carolina–Charlotte (Beta-Upsilon)
Chapter brothers adopted six Salvation Army Angel Tree children with the college chapter of Phi Mu. Members of both groups contributed funds and shopped for Christmas presents for the elementary school-aged children.
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Joseph St. Cyr (1953) died November 25, 2008.
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North Dakota (Epsilon-Zeta)
Texas-Austin (Alpha-Mu)
The chapter Alumni Association held its first meeting/ teleconference on January 14, 2009.
William T. Haskell died December 18, 2008. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked most of his life as a engineer.
The newly formed Alumni Advisory Board held its second meeting on January 18, 2009.
Texas-San Antonio (Phi-Upsilon)
Rob Killen (1992) became a shareholder in the law firm of Kaufman & Killen, Inc. in November 2008. In December 2008, he was selected to the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars.
Nevada–Reno (Epsilon-Iota)
James A. McLaughlin (1941) died June 21, 2008. Richard Cameron (1946) died 2008.
Texas Tech (Sigma-Nu)
Lt. Gen. Michael C. Husband (1997) was awarded the Bronze Star for his recent service in Afghanistan.
Oklahoma (Gamma-Rho)
William E. Heimann (1950) died January 20, 2009. He began his career with the law firm of Kerr, Conn and Davis, and later moved to Kerr-McGee Corp. where he worked for more than 30 years, retiring in the mid-1990s as a vice president, general counsel, and secretary to the board.
Vincennes (Sigma-Alpha)
Lance Gustin (1991) has started a chapter alumni association (http://www.lambdachi-saz.com/).
Wake Forest (Theta-Tau)
Philadelphia Area Alumni Association
Charles MacIntyre (1967) died December 2008. He was an attorney in Lumberton, North Carolina.
The Philadelphia Area Alumni Association raised 1,500 pounds of food for Philabundance, a local food bank, during the North American Food Drive.
Western Carolina (Beta-Zeta)
After his wife died, Mike Crates (1995) has continued the charity work she started with her friends: Cookies for a Cause (http:// www.cookies4acause.com/). The charity has donated thousands of dollars to local charities, appeared on syndicated radio programs, and held multiple charity events in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area.
Randolph-Macon (Kappa-Tau)
Gene “Buster” Pierce, the retired founder of the United Network for Organ Sharing, was featured in The Tidewater News. The organization he started has become a world leader in the field of organ sharing and transplantation.
San Diego (Delta-Kappa)
The chapter received the 2008 Dean’s Award for the outstanding fraternity on campus. IFC President Andrew Camera was named the 2008 Greek Man of the Year. Chapter Advisor Ken Greenman was named as the 2008 Greek Advisor of the Year.
Southeast Missouri State (Delta-Phi)
Matt Knickman (2008) was accepted as an intern for the 2009 Mid-American Greek Council Association/National Black Greek Leadership Conference. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Central Missouri where he is the residence hall director for the Fraternity Complex.
Southern Polytechnic (Sigma-Xi)
Ernie Whitlock (1969) died January 03, 2009.
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FEATURE
New U.S. Congressman On November 4, 2008, Tom Rooney was elected to represent Florida’s 16th By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004) Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“If
you take the time to get to know people and understand what their issues are it makes you a better person,” says Congressman Tom Rooney (Washington & Jefferson 1993).
“You can be a good football player at a little school in Florida and get to Division One, the big time,” says Rooney. “And you really see who the good players are; and going into the pros its just 10 times bigger than that. It gave me a lot of respect not only for Division One football players, but pro football players.”
One would think the newly-elected U.S. congressman was referring to politics and campaigning, but Rooney is referring to what he learned in Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
Following Rooney’s freshman season his cousin, who was the running back coach at Washington & Jefferson College, sensed his frustration. The two talked about his transferring to the smaller W&J where he would have an opportunity to start right away.
“Now, being in the Congress, you have to learn how to get along with other people personally, even if professionally or during school or whatever you know they might not be somebody you would gravitate towards. We are all people in the end; everybody has feelings.” says Rooney. “If I hadn’t been a brother at Washington & Jefferson and just going through school, I really think I would have lost out on that lesson on how to figure out how to get along.”
When he got on campus, Rooney naturally gravitated towards Lambda Chi as there were numerous football and baseball players already in the house. Following college, Rooney went to work in the mail room for U.S. Senator Connie Mack. He wasn’t into politics at the time. He had the desire to live in a big city and it was a job. He gained a lot of insight and got bit by the political bug, which led him to the University of Florida for graduate school in political science, and then to the University of Miami Law School.
College Rooney initially enrolled at Syracuse University to play football. He had a rough freshman season and was down because he felt he wasn’t able to contribute to the team.
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FEATURE After Rooney graduated for law school he and his wife, Tara, joined the U.S. Army JAG Corps. He wanted to become a prosecutor and felt that he would be able to gain more experience more quickly in the Army. He served as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney at Fort Hood, Texas, and later taught U.S. Constitutional and Criminal Law at West Point Academy.
“So, here I am.” First days and goals With the new congress in session, Rooney is still adjusting to the lifestyle change but is ready to get rolling. Rooney is taking a pragmatic view of what he will be able to accomplish as a freshman congressman is the minority party. “Certainly we are going to focus on constituent services back home,” says Rooney. “There are a lot of veterans in my district, so our veteran services are one thing we are really going to focus on.” From his time in the military and teaching at West Point, veterans services have a lot of personal meaning to him. He feels it shouldn’t be a partisan issue and that something will be done.
In 2002, Rooney left the service and began to work for the attorney general of Florida under Charlie Crist. He soon switched gears and ran a shelter for abused children for two years.
“I was just put on the Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee so my big focus is post traumatic stress disorder and the care that these guys need when they come back from fighting,” says Rooney. “It’s hard enough for a spouse to be home alone while their husband or wife is deployed, but for them to come home and need some kind of treatment and find it very difficult to figure how to get that done, is just in my opinion unacceptable.”
“I was on the board of directors and they needed a new CEO,” says Rooney. “I said, ‘I’ll do it,’ not having any experience in social work but think I could do a good job.” It was then Rooney decided to run for Congress.
“I have some personal accounts of people’s spouses that have just had a hard time. It’s not that they can’t get the care; it’s just that they kind of have to work the system to be able to get to a point that they are comfortable with the care their husband is getting,” he continues. “They shouldn’t have to do that. It should just be part of their care when they get home, that if they need that service, that here you go, it’s not hard for you to get it. “
“From working for Senator Mack 15 years earlier, I thought it would be a great honor to serve the same way he did.” Campaign In the Republican pri ary, Rooney was seen as a political outsider as he was running against a state representative and a local city councilman.
Motivation The chapter at Washington & Jefferson has produced many notable alumni including: Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Buddy Jeanette, CEO of Merck Richard Clark, Former CEO of Citi Group and New York Stock Exchange John Reid, and Green Bay Packers Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin.
“We surprised people with how hard we worked and how much money we raised and how well we got our message across,” says Rooney. With the primary in August, Rooney didn’t have much time to bask in the glory. He had to get money raised and begin campaigning against his Democratic opponent in the general election.
Rooney says there wasn’t any magic reason the chapter has produced so many leaders and that he’d be surprised if any of them saw it in their cards at the age of 20. He believes success comes from a little bit of intelligence and a lot of drive.
“I’m not making too big a stretch here to say (my time in Lambda Chi Alpha) definitely helped me in my campaigning to be able to reach out to people,” says Rooney. “You have to be able to put your hand out there and say, ‘Hi, I’m Tom Rooney, it’s nice to meet you. I’m running for Congress. I’d like to learn about what interests you have and what’s important to you.’ That stuff really started at Lambda Chi Alpha.”
“If somebody tells me something that I can’t do, it’s more motivation to accomplish what I want to accomplish,” says Rooney. “I am not the smartest guy in the world; I was an average student. When you decide what you want to do, you just go get it done. Then if you fall short, you can look in the mirror and say I did everything I could have to win, or everything I could to get that job. That’s sort of the creed I live my life by and it’s worked out pretty well so far.”
Rooney admits the mood in the country was against the Republican Party, but the scandal that hit his incumbent opponent helped open a door for him. “I don’t know if I would have won anyway, but it made it a lot easier for me,” says Rooney. www.crossandcrescent.com
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